Actress shifts styles for ‘Les Mis’

Claire Kaputska and Jacob Waid in “Les Miserables”

SoVaNow.com / July 10, 2014

Claire Kaputska graces The Prizery stage this summer after appearing in last year’s Summer Theatre productions of “Oliver”, Red, “White and Broadway” and “Legally Blonde”.” ActreTheatre patrons have just seen Claire shine as the gum chewing, slightly ditzy Penny Pingleton in “Hairspray!” Her next role, as Cozette in the Broadway musical “Les Miserables,” based on the Victor Hugo novel, involves an entirely different character type.

Probably the most different aspect of the two characters is the vocal style — one being more of a musical theatre belt and the other a legit classical style. April Hill, voice faculty at Elon University and Summer Theatre music director, noted, “Claire used a contemporary belt voice for Penny in Hairspray. The style would be similar to pop singing. This involves using a speechlike quality, but in theatre using a specific resonance that allows the voice to do so without causing vocal injury is necessary.

In Les Miserables, Claire will be using a “legit” voice, which means that the technique is more classical, with more open vertical space in the throat, purer vowel sounds, and vibrato. Many listeners would identify this sound as more closely related to an operatic tone.”

Claire is excited to be returning to school this fall for her senior year of theatre studies. She is attending Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. and hopes to move to New York City upon graduation to pursue a career in theatre.

Working with our local youth in the Prizery summer shows is another reason that Claire loves the theatre world. “Theatre teaches young people that being creative and different can be a good thing. It takes seemingly eccentric kids and gives them a way to channel their creativity and energy into something constructive. So often, children are taught to stifle their impulses and conform, and seeing theatre and participating in it are ways to combat that.”

Before returning to Belmont University in the fall, Claire will take a family vacation and back to rehearsals for “Fiddler on the Roof” at Studio Tenn in Nashville.

“We wish Claire the best of luck and look forward to our mention in her Tony award acceptance speech hopefully sometime in the near future,” said Chris Jones, director of the show.

Les Misérables opens Friday night, July 11 and run through Sunday, July 20. Call the Prizery box office for tickets, 434-572-8339 or order online at http://www.prizery.com